>In the world of fundraising, everyone has been watching the changing giving habits of how individuals contribute to religion.
Why? Well, the major reason is because households that give to both religious and secular organizations give over three times ($2,247) more than households that only give to secular organizations ($623).*
Yet, beyond just the fact that religious people tend to give more than non-religious people, is the changing reality that giving to religion has been slowing (some say decreasing), and that it is projected to decrease as younger generations replace older givers.
One example of this trend, is a chart (see below) that was created by the Center of Philanthropy to share the percentage of participation in religious giving by each generation (you can see a larger version of the chart by clicking on it).
By looking at this chart it is easy to see that while the Greatest Generation tended to give to religion at a rate of 72%, Generations X and the Millennials give a more lower rate of 45% and 41.5%, respectively.
Thus, given this knowledge, both churches and other non-profit organizations, are spending a considerable amount of time trying to find new ways to engage with younger generations and designing new business/ operating models for a changing charitable climate.
If you are a local church leader or the executive of a non-profit, I would encourage you to learn more by reading the report at www.campbellcompany.com
* This information was cited by Independent Sector, Faith and Philathropy: The Connection Between Charitable Behavior and Giving to Religion, Giving and Volunteering in the United States Signature Series, (Washington: Author, 2002), 11.